Hair curler



May 17, 1960 R. J, BEVERLY 2,936,765

HAIR CURLER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 Fig./

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3 7 g i :/0 l8 Rhe/hhardf J- Beverly INVENTOR.

Attorney:

United States Patent HAIR CURLER Rheinhardt J. Beverly, Benson, Ariz. Application September 18, 1957, Serial No. 684,810

3 Claims. (Cl. 132-39) I The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in hair curlers which lend themselves to ready and practical use by a user who desires to curl her own hair. I

More specifically, the concept requires the use of a self-coiling strip or wrapper which, when it is uncoiled by hand and spread open, permitsthe user to place the hair on a surface thereof so that when the outermost coil or convolution is released, the tuft or lock of prearranged hair is wound or rolled and transformed into the desired curl-form. As will be evident from the preceding general explanation, so-called automatically functioning and coilable curlers are not new. It follows that the instant objective is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon similarly constructed and performing curlers and, in so doing, to advance the art and bring into use an effectively functioning and easy-to-use home-type curler.

Briefly summarized, the invention in its preferred form is characterized by a strip of resilient material, for example, a substantially rectangular non-corrodible perforated or apertured strip of metal. This strip constitutes a hair winding and curling wrapper and permits the strands of a selected tuft of hair to be effectually laid out and properly arranged thereon with requisite nicety. The inherent resilient properties of the strip or wrapper then come into play and cause the strip to coil upon itself, that is, from its distended or spread state or condition to its normally rolled or coiled condition.

More specifically, novelty is predicated on a wrapper characterized by a strip of resilient material which has the inherent tendency to roll in coil form, that is, from a spread hair receiving shape or condition and which, when the lengthwise edge portions are released, then automatically rolls upon itself so that the strands of the tuft of hair are wound or rolled into the potential curl. The strip features a longitudinal ridge which projects slightly from one side or surface, said ridge being formed by creasing a median lengthwise portion of the strip and dividing the strip into left and right half portions and also defining a groove or channel on that side of the strip on which the tuft of hair is laid-out for coiling. The crease which may be deepened at the outer end of the strip provides a pressure responsive ridge, said ridge operating, when the longitudinal edges of the strip are pressed manually and squeezed toward each other, to impose a force on the coilable portions of the strip capable of' resisting the tendency of the strip to roll from its spread state to its normally coiled state.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved hair curler showing how it is constructed and readied to be used in curling the users hair;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the curler showing it in its 2,936,766 Patented May 17, 1960 substantially flat or spread open position or condition;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the same strip with the outer end portion starting to automatically, as it were, coil upon itself;

Fig. 4 is a similar plan view showing the nearly finished coiling state or condition of the curler;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged lengthwise section which may be considered as taken approximately on the plane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view showing the normally coiled state or condition of the curler; and

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 5.

Referring now to the views of the drawing, the strip or wrapper is denoted generally by the numeral 8. It is approximately rectangular in plan, that is, when it is open and spread as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, for example; The material employed must he possessed of the desired easy-to-handle lightweight, non-corrodible character. For the time being, it has been found that suitable stainless steelwith requisite springy properties and gage willdo. In any event, the outer transverse end is denoted at 10 and is free to coil in the manner shown in Figs. 3 and 4 as a result of the inherent properties and the tendency to form itself into coil, having been made for such purpose. The longitudinal edges are denoted at 12 and the inner transverse end portion is reinforced by an attaching spreader rib or an equivalent stabilizing member 14. The rib assists in maintaining the strip or wrapper in predetermined shape at all times and cooperates and contributes in rendering the over-all functions effective and proper. It also tends to resist needless distortion or possible collapsing if abnormal finger pressure is applied to the edges 12 when the curler is being used as seen in Fig. 1. The significant feature is the crease or bend 16 at the median portion of the strip. This crease may be substantially commensurate with the length of the over-all strip. The term crease is being used here to suggest that the thinness of the sheet metal or commercial plastics, as the case may be, may be bent or creased longitudinally and midway between the lengthwise edges to define a channel or groove on what may be called the top side and the slightly projecting ridge on the bottom side. The crease might extend from one transverse end to the other or it may, as the drawings imply, start in a position spaced from the reinforced inner end 14 and extend through the outer transverse end at which point it may be slightly deepened. This crease or ridge not only defines symmetrical half portions to the left and right thereof but makes it possible to catch hold of the curler in the manner seen in Fig. 1 and to squeeze toward the center and to concentrate the imposed forces on the ridge. Thus, by first unwinding the wrapper or curler by hand from the coiled state seen in Fig. 6 and then holding it in position as seen in Fig. 1 and bringing the ridge into play, the strip is temporarily prevented from coiling and rolling up. This makes it possible to hold the curler in one hand and to place the hair in position for curling with the other hand in an obvious manner.

It. is'to be understood that, despite the fact that the description tends to limit the use of the invention to private or home use, the over-all applicability of the numerous modifications and changes will readily occurto those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the-scope offthe rinven=i a predetermined surface of which a tuft of .hair my be laid andsuitably arranged for wrapping and subsequent curling, the inherent properties of said strip functioning to cause said strip to automatically coil and roll upon itself from a distended spread tuft receiving condition,

a median lengthwise portion of said strip being provided with a continuous crease spaced from one' end ofthe strip and extending through the opposite transverse end, said crease being located midway between the lengthwise edge portions of the strip and cooperating therewith and with the body portion of the strip in defining-v half portions to the left and right of the crease and said crease defining a pressure responsive force concentrating ridge which is adapted to come into play when the longitudinal edges of the strip are pressed manually in and l a 4 squeezed toward each other to, in this manner, impose a force on the ridge and also the creased portion of the strip, whereby said strip, after it has been uncoiled by hand to assume the spread hair receiving state, is held in such state with the aid of the ridge and by one hand, allowing the other hand to position the tuft of hair to be acted on. a

2. The structure defined inclaim I, and wherein said T strip is apertured, is generally rectangular in plan when in its unrolled tuft receiving state,*being of non-corrodible material, the crease providing a longitudinal channel facing one side or the strip and the stated ridge which is located on the'other side of the strip.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, and wherein a reinforcing and rigidifying member is attached to the inner end of the strip and extends transversely across the strip to maintain the inner end of the strip in a predetermined ready-to-use condition at all times.

References Cited in the file of this patent Burtnett Oct; ll, 1955- 

